NCTES ON TREE PLANTING AT SAN JORGE, URUGUAY. 231 
having been too chary of expense in the first planting of the 
hedges, and partly perhaps because I have not yet found out any 
plant sufliciently good for the purpose. 
I invariably prune robinias and poplars, the former up to 
perhaps 5 feet high, thinning out upper branches also, when too 
numerous, and the latter up to 7 feet high. The blackwoods, I 
consider, are better when left unpruned, having tried pruning 
them up to 5 feet or so. The various other trees I have planted 
in small numbers have also been attended to in this fashion. 
And for this sort of pruning I like to choose the height of 
summer, as the trees do not then send out from the cut branch a 
multiplicity of young branches. 
When preparing wood for sale, I have made a practice of 
barking the trees within twenty-four hours of cutting them down. 
The bark comes off most easily, and I daresay its economic value 
as fuel, when dry, nearly pays the expense of barking; and I 
believe the wood for posts, or for roof, rafters, etc., lasts better 
when peeled. I believe the very end of summer and all autumn 
is the best time for felling blackwoods, robinias, and poplars, 
taking into consideration that I wish for well-ripened wood, and 
for reproduction from the tree-stumps. 
All the lop-wood is serviceable for firewood. In future days, if 
the amount of lop-wood becomes unmanageable, I fancy a large 
proportion might be convertible into charcoal, and think that this 
would be easily saleable. 
Almost all European fruit-trees do well, pears perhaps the best 
of any. Oranges are not so sweet as those of Paraguay and 
Brazil, tropical climates, but are particularly clean and free from 
the sort of mildew that marks with small dark specks or lines the 
generality of tropical-grown oranges. Apples are not particularly 
good ; peaches, nectarines, and apricots, if carefully cultivated, are 
good, but by no means equal to British fruit. Walnuts and 
olives do well. Quinces suffer much from worms inside them 
in many seasons; the plant itself grows so freely from cuttings 
that I have made hedges of quince; and where protected 
from sheep and cattle it makes a fine thick hedge, but of 
course of no great utility. Figs grow most luxuriantly, 
so do vines, where the science of viticulture is understood. 
Wine-making will probably before long become an important 
industry in Uruguay. 
For some few years I have been taking monthly measurements, 
